Astebros SEGA Mega Drive Review 9.5/10 "The Pinnacle of Mega Drive Gaming" ⚔️ @DAsteborg #IndieGames #GameDev

Back in 2021, I was lucky enough to cover Demons of Asteborg, Neofid Studios’ first release on the Mega Drive. At the time I hailed it as a modern Mega Drive classic, I was really taken by the almost perfect action-platformer, which was up until that point the best game that I had covered on the Mega Drive as it was not only a great game to play, but was also a marvel in terms of the technical design.

In the space of only two years since that release, Neofid Studios have returned to the world of Asteborg and doubled down on what made the preceding title so great, this time upping the ante with local co-op and rogue-lite aspects that exist to add longevity to the game, making it the absolute cream of the Mega Drive crop.

Set in the early days of the Kingdom of Asteborg, humans have begun to search for the promised land, and it was during this that the first group of explorers that were sent to the continent of Asteborg were captured and held prisoner. Following this, the King sent three heroes (The Knight, The Mage, and The Ranger) on a rescue expedition, and their adventures make up the rest of the game.

Whilst Astebros is also available on Switch and PC, I have to note that the physical Mega Drive edition is just as tasty as its predecessor in terms of packaging, with a rich, full-colour booklet, the inclusion of some stickers as well as a reversible cover that features both ages of Mega Drive design style.

The clamshell is of high quality, and has no issues in terms of being in constant use, whilst the artwork on the cover hints at a slightly anime style, but with a very Western approach that grounds the characters with a grittiness, as opposed to whimsy.

As mentioned above, this is a two-player 2D action RPG, and so up to two of you can choose between the three characters available to make your way through this challenging game, following a tutorial that sets out the buttons and actions, as well as establishing your ever-growing main camp. In said camp, you will be able to not only select your currently playable character but will also be able to spend the coins collected in your dungeon runs and interact with allies that you rescue on your travels.

There are hints here at the various unlockables and secrets that you’ll unfurl as you make your way deeper into the game. I don’t want to give too much away, but this is very much a game that rewards deep and thorough exploration. The combat is also surprisingly engaging and satisfying, despite the incredibly accessible button layout. Astebros is not a game that you’ll be able to hack your way through, with the first dungeon alone making it clear that your focus shouldn’t be on running up to an enemy and clattering the attack button, but should instead be more reliant on timed attacks combined with dodging – quick reflexes are needed, especially on some of the later bosses!

Speaking of bosses, each dungeon leads up to a final battle that will be a test of your skills, whilst the enemies in Demons of Asteborg tended to be quite bullet-spongey, things feel a little fairer here, and failure usually tends to be the fault of the player, a lapse in concentration as opposed to the enemy simply taking seemingly hundreds of hits.

The different stages all have their own enemies, environs, bosses, and charms, with that heavy focus on exploration making the wanders through the randomly generated locations a tense but rewarding excursion. When you reach the main boss for the first time in each dungeon, a portal appears that means that you can fast-track your way there for the next try – should you fail on your initial run – which takes out a lot of the backtracking. That said, I found myself enjoying working through the dungeons to gain more coins and pickups etc. to hopefully take the edge off particularly saucy bosses. 

The visuals are sharp, detailed, and accompanied by a beautifully expansive soundtrack that seems to always have tricks up its sleeve. I found myself really getting lost in the mood during my time with Astebros.

The fact that a second player can drop in and out is such a bonus, as not only does it mean you can get a quick helping hand on bosses, but in the pantheon of Mega Drive games, the only even vaguely similar co-op experience I can think of is Blades of Vengeance, which was a very flawed attempt at this type of game.

SUMMARY

A fantastic game in both single and local co-op modes, with astonishing visuals, hidden depths, and a cracking soundtrack, Astebros is a more than worthy successor to Demons of Asteborg.

The gentle tilt of the rogue-lite formula and the sheer amount of items, unlockables and play styles available between the three playable characters really does make this the best modern Mega Drive game that I have ever played.

Neofid Studios continue to seemingly do the impossible, creating games that are perfect in almost every aspect on Sega’s classic system. A vital purchase for all MD fans out there.

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— Neofid Studios (@DAsteborg) July 21, 2023